Let Me Comfort You
by Luvdarain5
Summary: A storm rolls in and Darien is distracted with worry for his girlfriend, but why is Serena worried about him? Bit of sweetness, pls R&R.


Let Me Comfort You

By Luvdarain5

Disclaimer-I do not own Sailor Moon-but I wish, oh how I wish I did!

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"Of course baby, can't wait to see you tonight. Love you too. I gotta go so I can finish this pile of work before I leave. Ok, Love you. Ok. Ok. Bye." Darien hung up the phone, a huge grin on his face. He couldn't wait for 5:00, not only did the week end officially start, but he had Serena to himself for the whole night. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation and then turned to focus on his work so he would be finished on time. Hours rolled by, till it was already four in the afternoon, and his desk was starting to look pretty good-whatever wasn't done could wait till Monday.

Suddenly he saw a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head, unsure of what he had seen when the low rumble of thunder followed, confirming that it had been lightening a moment before.

"Damn"Darien growled looking out his office window, noticing for the first time the angry gray clouds that were beginning to roll in. "There goes my evening with Serena!"

Though the storm had been forming for some time, Darien had been so busy with work and daydreaming about his plans that evening that he had failed to notice the darkening skies. He wished he had seen it sooner, he might have tried to slip out to swing by and get Serena.

He had planned an intimate evening of dining and seduction for his girlfriend as she was home visiting for two weeks on spring break. He had been excited that he would be spending time with her in person instead of the lengthy phone calls which was the basis of their relationship until Serena graduated from Tokyo U, and that was still a couple years away.

He sighed softly, resigning himself to an evening alone. No matter that both he and Serena were now adults and living busy, complicated lives, when it came to the fundamentals some things never changed. Like Serena's deeply rooted fear of a bad storm.

"She'll be too afraid to come out in this weather, even if I offer to pick her up." he murmured to himself. "She'll probably just want to stay home and huddle under the covers." All the groundwork he had laid out to pull this evening together…the couple had even managed to get around her dad and so that she could stay overnight, now it was all for nothing..

Darien thought about the amazing dinner he had planned to prepare, all Serena's favorite foods and a decadent chocolate moose for desert. Then a little slowing dancing in his living room with the lights off and the romantic moonlight shimmering through the skylights of his penthouse apartment. A glass of wine or two, because he loved to see his Serena tipsy…she was so adorable and funny…he broke off his thoughts, not wanting to dwell on what might have been. Now instead he faced a long night by himself listening to the lonely sounds of the rain and only his melancholy thoughts for company.

Meanwhile, across town, Serena looked out the window in her family's living room watching with increasing alarm as the storm clouds rolling in, a worried look on her face…

Jumping up, interrupting her conversation with her parents she ran up the stairs, "I gotta make a phone call!" She said, her voice echoing down the hallway.

Back at the office, the work day was winding down all around him, his co-workers packing up to leave for the day, Darien was still undecided on what to do when his desk phone rang. Picking it up, he heard static and recognized the faint sound of his girlfriend's voice.

"Bunny?" He said louder than necessary so she could hear him.

"..storm…real bad…pouring…" He could only hear bits and pieces of what she was saying.

He closed his eyes, his heart aching at her words; he couldn't hear all of it but knew she was trying to tell him she couldn't make it tonight. It shouldn't have been a big deal, after all she would still be here for another couple weeks, but he had wanted to see her so badly.

"…hope that's ok…" She continued, oblivious to the pain she was causing him.

"Sure baby, it's ok. I've got work to do here…" He said lovingly, he may hate that they couldn't be together, but he did understand why she was so afraid of storms. He didn't want her to realize how much he wanted her with him though, or it might upset her further. He started to say more but at that moment the line disconnected. He stared at the phone for a second longer, then hung up the receiver.

Deciding there was no point going home to an empty apartment that would only remind him of what might have been, he instead turned back to his computer console. Offering 'Goodnights' to some of his departing co-workers he determinedly went back to work, focusing on the paperwork in front of him and trying to forget his disappointment.

Finally, hours later Darien began shutting down his computer and preparing to head home for the evening. As he left the office and walked down towards his steel grey Audi, he was surrounded by the echoes of rain splattering on concrete in the otherwise empty parking garage. He heard the thunderous sounds of the storm, still in full force outside and apparently gearing up for a long night. Mentally he debated whether to swing by and pick up a hot takeout meal or just to head home and have a hot shower as the chilled wind howled around him. Hmm…hot meal vs hot shower…which did he want more…

Deciding it was best just to head home, he turned off the radio which had just been droning on about the continuing nasty weather and the resulting traffic delays. He watched the storm pummel the windshield of his car, he tried to clear his head of the feelings of loneliness and more importantly the longing for Serena, two things that always crowded his mind when it rained.. He was worried about her, hoping she was ok, missing him of course, but not cowering with fear under her blankets as she tended to do in weather like this….

As he arrived at his apartment building he sprinted from the car, hoisting his briefcase over his head and after a mad dash, ending his sloppy journey with a skid into the foyer. Drenched to the bone and sluicing water everywhere with every step, his wingtips made squelching noises on the creamy white tiled floor. He sidled up to the elevator and grimly pressed a button, waiting impatiently for an elevator car to arrive. As he waited, a young couple walked into the building, holding hands and wearing matching raincoats. They shared an umbrella, beaming and laughing together at the weather and dripping condition they were in. Being a man in love himself, normally Darien would be able to appreciate the couple's happiness but since he was being denied time with his Bunny he instead choose to rudely ignore their softly offered "Hello's", friendly smiles and cutesy coupley behavior.

As they rode the elevator up, Darien was darkly pleased when they got off on the 22nd floor and he continued up alone, relieved to have the space to himself and despite his doldrums, unable to resist humming along with "Jungle Love" the muzack version playing over the speakers.

Finally arriving at the top floor Penthouse Suite, he sloshed his way into the dark apartment, ejecting his squishy shoes and limp wet coat in the classy black foyer and loosened his tie, tugging off his jacket at the same time. As he entered the living room of his elegant apartment, he stood a moment to watch the rain pour down in rivets on the large windows of his living room, distorting the light from the street outside and making Darien ache with unnamed feelings. Resolutely he turned to the bedroom, bent on switching off his emotions and worry for Serena.

A hot shower and a early night to bed would help him forget his troubles. Tomorrow was Saturday and he hoped the storm would be long gone and he and Serena could spend the day doing something fun, preferably outdoors. Not bothering to flick on the lights, he sat on an overstuffed chair in the corner of the room to remove the rest of his wet clothes. Determined to fight the feeling of melancholy struggling to take hold, he strode to the bathroom wearing only his boxers, ignoring the chill in the air and tossing his wet clothes in the hamper. Flexing firm but tired muscles and he tried to ignore the sounds of the wind and storm getting stronger.

His stomach grumbled and Darien glanced at the clock surprised at the lateness of the hour. It was past 11, he had stayed late to catch up on work since he had no reason to rush home and he hadn't eaten since lunch. A quick shower, he decided to himself, then a meal, and finally off to bed where, if he was lucky he could be with his baby-in his dreams anyways. The sooner this lonely evening was over, the better. He wished again that his Serena was here, he would have definitely enjoyed comforting and cuddling her on a night like this.

After a hot steamy shower, Darien felt warmer and a little less depressed. Jogging into the kitchen he fixed and ate a couple sandwiches, then strolled back to his bedroom. He surveyed the dark room in the glow of the bathroom light to see whether there was anything he was forgetting to do before winding down for the night. He strode to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, then flicked off the light, accustomed to the layout of his room so that he didn't need any illumination to see where he was going.

Darien was ready to settle in, the quicker it was over, the quicker he would see his Bunny in the morning.

Detouring over to his bureau he grabbed his black i-pod, deciding that perhaps some music might help calm his restless mind. He headed towards the bed and for the first time noticed something was amiss with the covers. They were lumped funny, and his first thought as his blood started pumping was that perhaps a burglar had broken in.. His second, more rationale thought was that there was no way anyone could get through the security here, so it must have been someone with a key, and that someone had to have been Serena.

He realized Serena must have come by to see him, despite the powerful storm and her fears and he had missed her. He sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands, his sorrow overwhelming him. His poor Bunny must have been so scared with the force of the thunder and lightening shaking the windows, waiting in his bed for him to come and sooth her and he had been at work feeling sorry for himself. He wondered if she would forgive him for this.

Darien glanced at the clock, it was almost midnight, too late to call and talk to her tonight. He fell back against the pillows wishing he could talk to her right then. The sound of her voice alone worked miracles, he knew. He pulled back the covers to slip in, and experienced the shock of his life. What he had assumed were pillows lumped under the covers was actually a live person. He peered closer to inspect the silky black lump, then reached over to the bedside lamp to flick it on. It was Serena. She was asleep, curled into a ball, wearing what appeared to be the top half of his pajamas, which he had been looking for to match the glossy gray pants he sported now. Her long blond hair strewn over most of her balled up form and she was shivering from the unexpected cold where he had uncovered her. She blinked with the intrusion of the light from the lamp and she began to awaken just a little.

"Darien?" She mumbled sleepily, "Is that you?"

A dozen sharp answers sprang into his head, from 'Of course it's me' to 'You were expecting someone else?' but he voiced none of these, his joy at seeing her here in his bed momentarily rendering him speechless.

She reached out a slender arm to grasp his forearm and tug him closer, and he slid gingerly into bed not wanting to jostle her, pulling the covers tight around him. She began to ease her slim form from its coiled ball and stretched her body and legs along the length of him, shivering at the cold she encountered from the unused portion of the sheets. She cuddled up into the warmth of her lover, and mewled contentedly as he conformed his body to hers, wrapping her in his body heat.

"I've been waiting for you" She told him softy, without censure, "I know you had to work but I was getting worried about you." her eyes were fighting to stay open, to succumb to the seductive call of sleep.

"Bunny," he told her huskily, breathing in her scent and caressing her hair. "I'm so sorry about that, if I had known you were here, I would have gotten here much sooner." He thought of how his Serena had braved the wind, the rain, the thunder and lightening for him, curled up alone in his big dark pent house waiting for him to come home and protect her…his heart turned over, she was so very, _very_ precious to him.

"I told you I would be here, you said it was ok." She told him softly right before she drifted back to sleep, "I got here as quick as I could." She murmured, "I know how you hate these storms."

Shocked, Darien stared down at her slumbering form. Here he had been so worked up about her and her fear of storms, while apparently she had been worried about him as well. Strong emotions swelled up in his chest and he leaned over her sleeping form, kissing her check reverently. He reached back to the lamp and switched it off, then turned back to Serena, pulling her close and listening contently to the beautiful sounds of the rain and her soft even breathing.

Darien suddenly remembered her impassioned vow to always been with him in the rain and stormy weather, after he had once confessed a secret to her. He had admitted to Serena that he too hated rainstorms, for an entirely different reason. While she feared the deafening sounds and the powerful reverberations of storms, he hated the solitarily, aching feeling that the rain brought. It reminded him of his parent's death for it had rained for days afterwards, and the feeling of being abandoned in a depressing orphanage feeling that he would be alone forever.

The couple had thereafter promised to always be together during a storm whenever possible so that they could hold and comfort each other, and she had come to keep her promise.

Darien watched her sleep for as long as he could hold out before finally drifting off to meet her in dreamland.

"Promise me you will always be here to comfort me" He whispered his last words of the night to her.

Incredibly, despite the fact that she was indeed sound asleep, she responded. "I promise."

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FIN


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